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"I adore you," she whispered "If you die, I’ to make it" The words were stark, her heart laid open on her sleeve

"Then don’t ask me to sit on my hands while you stand in harm’s way," he demanded "I need to protect you"

"I’ She wasn’t sick, wasn’t dying He refused to let her go "We’ll talk about that later," he told her "Tonight, justtell me you’ll be here when I return" Ready to touch him no matter that he came to her with violence painted across his body

Her face set in stubborn lines and he felt his predator’s heart stop "You get one scratch," she said, "one single scratch, on your body and you’ll be sleeping in the living room for the next month" Her lips trembled "Do I make myself clear?"

He smiled at the threat neither of theh "Yes, ma’am"

Talin walked back into Taoing to head to the lair with Clay when he returns," she told the healer, already worrying for hilass of wine?"

"It’s late" She unclenched her fingers, told herself he’d be fine He would come back to her, he’d proain

"I don’t think you’ll be sleeping Neither will Sascha"

"Sascha’s here, too?" Having coht into the kitchen after Clay dropped her off, she hadn’t seen the other wo the cardinal to sense the depth of her scars She knew Clay wouldn’t leave her by choice He never had But in some hidden part of her, she was still a shocked and bloodied eight-year-old, and that child knew that, soiven a choice "Where is she?"

"Upstairs Julian woke up and demanded she come cuddle him - I swear the twins can scent her a mile away" She shook her head "They have the ht Lucas for her if he wasn’t so uess why" The toht not see it but they were very similar, both of theth in them that promised protection "Jon and Noor?"

"Noor’s asleep and Jon’s keeping Kit company while he studies" She pointed upstairs "Second door on the left"

Talin shook her head "I think I’ve used up all rinned "He’ll be okay with Kit"

"You always seeer to know more about Clay’s world She never wanted to hurt hi his beast, by not accepting that he was different - in a beautiful, unique way "Do you mind?"

"Lord, no It ift, I suppose" The other woold wine across the counter "That’s why the pack healer always has a big house Somehow, their home inevitably beco of coffee beans

"Are youcoffee, too?"

"Faith and Sascha don’t drink wine - Psy have an odd reaction to alcohol"

Right then, soet it," Talin offered

When she opened it, it was to find Faith on the other side "Oh, hi"

"Hi" The F-Psy sly ehn," she said in response to Talin’s be outside border watch tonight Nate’s doing the inner region"

So clicked in Talin’s brain "Is that e’re all here?" She stepped aside to let Faith walk in Everyone knew that Psy didn’t like to be touched and Faith wasn’t exactly her best friend

"Yes" The F-Psy put a large shopping bag on the floor beside the hall closet "It’s easier for them to cover us this way, since they’re three short" She hung up her coat and, leaving the bag on the floor, began to head toward the kitchen Talin fell in beside her It took incredible force of will not to ask the question she so desperately wanted to ask - had Faith had another vision of Clay’s future? What had she seen?

Faith stopped halfway down the hall and turned "I owe you an apology"

"Why?"

"Emotion is still new to me" She shoved her hands into the pockets of her black slacks "Soets that way" Talin wondered what it was like to groithout e Clay

Faith’s night-sky eyes seemed to turn darker "Clay scared me when I first came into DarkRiver, but then he became my friend So when you - "

"It’s okay," Talin interrupted "You orried I was bad for him, so you went overprotective The truth is," she admitted, "now that I’lad for the tenderness you tried to give hiize for"

"Yes, there is" Faith’s expression was resolute "Sascha and Tammy were so nice to me when I entered DarkRiver I should’ve remembered their example and treated you with the saure we’re even" Talin filled her voice with sincerity - so that Faith didn’t have to guess at nuances of emotion "I called you all sorts of nale" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>